This year, Sharp Office celebrates 55 years in business, a milestone that has us looking ahead to six decades. It’s a chance to look back at how we began, how we’ve grown alongside Newcastle and the Hunter Region, and how the technology we provide has changed.
From selling Sharp calculators in the 1970s to supplying print and technology solutions today, we have been shaped by new technology, by the people we’ve worked with and by the relationships we’ve built with local businesses. Much has changed since 1971, but our roots in print technology and our commitment to reliable local service remain strong.
Evolving with technology
Sharp Office began with a chance meeting between John Duncan and Robin Carney at Souths Newcastle Leagues Club in 1971. Both were salesmen for competing businesses, and that conversation led them to go into business together selling Sharp calculators. At the time, calculators were among the most advanced technology for businesses, and they came with a significant investment, ranging upwards of $2,000. As the business grew, so did the range of products, including point-of-sale software, office supplies, and furniture.
Photocopiers, electronic cash registers, and fax machines each gave businesses new ways to manage information and communicate. Unlike calculators, which were somewhat portable, photocopiers were heavy machines that customers wanted to see first-hand before purchasing. Because of this need, a showroom was set up in Broadmeadow, while the original showroom, opposite the then Adamstown Post Office, stayed focused on calculators.
By the mid-1980s, fax machines had become common in workplaces. Sending documents over a phone line was a big step forward, since the alternative was the post. Growth continued after that, with the addition of point-of-sale solutions, office supplies, and furniture. With each new development, our role remained the same: understand customer needs and help them with the right solutions.
Growing alongside our local business community
Over 55 years, Newcastle and the Hunter Region have changed a great deal, and we’ve worked alongside local businesses through much of that change. Supporting businesses across several industries, including finance, education, not-for-profit and industrial, our offering has evolved over time to keep pace as customers’ needs have changed.
Relationships have been central to the business from the start. That means relationships with our customers, within our team and with our suppliers. Several team members have been with us for more than a decade. Our IT and Systems Administrator, Tony Minehan, has been part of Sharp Office since the late 1970s. Their experience gives our customers valuable continuity.
There have been challenges along the way. In 2007, the Pasha Bulker storm and the flooding that followed hit our warehouse and service department, with water reaching waist height in parts of the building. Our team came together over the weekend to move stock and clean up, and the business was operating again by Tuesday. That time showed what can be achieved when people support one another, and it’s as much a part of our history as the products we’ve supplied.
Print technology remains at our core
Our products have changed over the years, but print technology is still at the heart of the business. As a Sharp and Kyocera dealer, we supply multifunction photocopiers and printers to suit each business’s printing and document needs. We also offer HDi interactive screens to support meetings, presentations and collaboration.
Our local service team are just as important. Reliable equipment matters, and when something goes wrong, delays can affect a whole team. Our local technicians who know the technology help customers keep their businesses running.
As workplaces change, we see more opportunities to help businesses manage documents, share information and work together. We’re growing our expertise in these areas while building on the print knowledge that has defined us from the beginning. Our focus is on meeting customers’ needs today and being ready for how those needs will change.
As we look towards 60 years, the products may evolve, but the principles that shaped the business from the start haven’t. We continue to uphold our commitment to understanding our customers, helping local businesses find the right technology and delivering great local service.
